Who is Tony Shepherd?
My government name is Tony Shepherd, though a lot of people still know me as Tony “Stone.” I feel like I’ve covered a lot of mileage in my meager 31 years on this planet.
Christ graciously saved me when I was young and living in Florida. Since then, I’ve learned a lot and grown in ways I never would have picked if I were writing the script of my life.
I am married to my beautiful wife, Jolene, and we are coming up on seven years of marriage this October. I don’t deserve her! We have two boys and one girl, with my girl being the youngest of the family.
I currently reside in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, where I grew up during my teen years and where the Lord rekindled my heart some 13 years ago. I’m an associate pastor at Hampton Roads Fellowship, which meets in Newport News, Virginia.
You used to be heavily involved in Christian hip-hop. Now you’re a pastor. Why did you leave the hip-hop scene for the pastorate?
Yeah, man, I spent a good decade working on a lot of music, from Braille to Lecrae. I love all the people I had a chance to work with. The Lord used it to refine me and prepare me for this season of life.
It seems fashionable these days to either be a rapper who seeks to dominate artistically or a rapper who goes and pastors a church. The first thing I want to say is that those aren’t the only two options for a minority guy. Doing art, sports or church planting aren’t your only options for loving the Lord with all your heart.
This is the arena I’m called to, and the Lord had been cultivating that in my life since my late teens. It wasn’t a decision that fit a cool or trendy pattern. It unfolded over time, and pastoral ministry was my desire long before cool church-planting networks, torn jeans and flannel button-ups.
Music had always been a medium through which I discovered robust theological truth. I had been listening to Christian rap since the mid-1990s. It was also the voice of a generation of people who wanted churches that preached that kind of truth week in and week out.
The Lord provided me with a great opportunity to learn and grow at Immanuel Church for three years. Shout out to Pastor Ray Ortlund! I was able to soak up some of the necessary exposure I would need for the stage of life I’m in now.
This is really abbreviated, but my main point is that my desire to care for the flock of God, as entrusted to the care of elders, was a burden that found its earliest roots when I was a child. It only gained deeper conviction and clarity as I matured in life and in the faith of our Lord.
Why do you think hip-hop has been such a powerful influence in the so-called “Reformed Revival” of our day?
Like I alluded to earlier, it has, in many ways, become a voice for a generation. In particular, some artists wanted to use hip-hop as a native tongue to say on records what they desired to see in their churches, especially, but not exclusively, in minority churches.
I think a few artists have exemplified thoughtful theological robustness. Those artists were sort of the hidden gems of Christian rap from a mainstream Reformed vantage point.
But it wasn’t until some artists experienced commercial success that the movement became impossible to ignore. The chart positions and awards got the average Reformed person’s attention. They then stumbled upon a whole world they never knew existed in their backyard.
What is one of the major obstacles for minority leaders in the broad stream of evangelicalism?
Great question, man. There’s so much that could be said here, but I think one major obstacle is the assumption that minority leaders have the same socioeconomic family and social networks they can tap into with just the right fundraising practices.
Mainstream evangelicalism doesn’t realize how economically stout it is. Ticket purchases for things like Heaven Is for Real remind us of this. A minority leader will probably see a different demographic sitting in front of him and will likely have a harder time raising funds within his network.
This might sound strange, but can you tell me how you think we’re doing a good job of handling race relations in the church?
I can’t speak for the broader scope other than to say that significant strides are being made. The depth of those strides will only be discernible over a period of years.
I can, however, speak for HRF as a local church. The Lord has given us a very diverse group. We currently have 74 people in membership, because membership matters, and we have Black, white, Hispanic and Asian members, along with people from mixed backgrounds.
The Lord has really done it because we didn’t campaign on race relations before our launch. People are seeing ethnically diverse people seeking to do one another spiritual good, and it’s setting a new precedent for how we can love one another when the Gospel is cherished and insisted upon.
We have a lot of blind spots, but overall, race relations at HRF have been a real non-event. Sinners saved by grace are simply trying to learn how to walk in covenant commitment toward one another for the sake of Christ. I’m thankful for that.
Isn’t church planting just a numbers game? Be honest.
That’s what the books tell you. That’s what the conferences imply. That’s what the gurus point to.
While I do think numbers matter, because I want to know how many people are among the flock I’m charged to shepherd and oversee, they aren’t a good indicator of how things are going. That’s usually the problem with how numbers are used.
Numbers could indicate that a church is healthy. Numbers could also indicate that a church is really unhealthy. They aren’t a reliable gauge.
We have to fight hard to change the language in church-planting circles and disassociate numbers from the question, “How’s it going?” We need to move toward asking, “What are you doing to gain those numbers, and what are you doing with them?”
At the end of the day, numbers in membership mean more souls for whom I, as an elder, will give an account. I want to serve as an elder to the glory of God without casting a covetous eye toward big numbers.
What would you say to a young church planter who asked how he might grow his church?
I would tell him he could put a lion in a cage onstage if he wants to grow his church. He could fire off pyrotechnics from the stage to start the service if he wants to grow his church.
But if he wants to steward and undershepherd Christ’s church, he had better give himself to personal holiness, tenacity in guarding the Gospel and faithfulness to what the Lord requires of an elder.
Faithfulness > fruitfulness.
Do you have any heroes?
I have many people I would call heroes, but they are still living. As for those who have gone on to be with the Lord and whose exit I had the chance to witness, I’ll highlight one: Todd.
He was the worship leader at Immanuel Church in Nashville for a few years before he died of cancer. He was genuine and pure of heart. He was peaceable, and he constantly pointed us to the greatness of our Lord.
It would be a gift if my life ended with that kind of legacy and impact.
What would you tell Tony 10 years ago?
Your wife will be amazing.
Three favorite movies
I’m bad at this kind of stuff. I think the only movie I would pay to see again would be The Avengers, but I’m saying that because I don’t watch a lot of movies.
Three favorite TV shows
The Unit, 24 and maybe some cooking show or crime-solving show.
Three favorite theological books
Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves
The Glory of Christ by John Owen
The Pleasures of God by John Piper
Three favorite non-theological books
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Any book my kids want me to read
A biography of Jonathan Edwards
Finally, I heard you’re teaming up with Shai Linne to make a mixtape called “Blammin’ Bible Gatz in the Nayme of Yeezus.” When can we expect that mug to drop on DatPiff?
LOL. Well, Json decided the world wasn’t ready for this mixtape yet.